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Food Exports

Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 17 January 2019

Thursday, 17 January 2019

Questions (203)

Charlie McConalogue

Question:

203. Deputy Charlie McConalogue asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the status of the review of existing export markets in which conditions of certification present barriers to trade or additional costs for exporters. [2276/19]

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Written answers

I launched an action plan on Market Access in April 2017. This plan aims to increase international market access for Irish food and drink exports and focuses on seven particular elements including barriers to trade. My Department actively works and engages with various competent authorities in third countries in order to try and remove various technical barriers to trade and to improve certification conditions.

In relation to meat, my Department has undertaken a review of existing export markets in which conditions of certification present barriers to trade or additional costs for exporters. This review was carried out in collaboration with the industry. The work involved in this review is by its nature on-going and is subject to on-going review, again in collaboration with industry.

Barriers to trade tend to arise in relation to meat products rather than dairy and an example of the work around removing barriers to trade and improving certification conditions relates to the agreed bilateral veterinary health certificates for beef. During the period, since the launch of the Action plan, enhanced beef access has been achieved for the export of Irish Beef to Israel, Saudi Arabia, Singapore and South Africa as follows:

- Israel - the main changes from the previous certificate are that the new certificate provides for the export of bone-in beef cuts derived from cattle of all ages as well as boneless beef cuts and offal from cattle of all age. The previous certificate restricted exports to boneless beef only.

- Saudi Arabia - the new certificate covers the export of beef and processed beef products including minced beef and cooked beef

- Singapore - the new certificate provides for the export of boneless beef derived from cattle of all ages as well as bone-in beef from cattle aged less than thirty months. The previous certificate restricted exports to boneless beef only derived from cattle aged less than thirty months.

- South Africa - the main change is that there is no longer a requirement that animals aged over 72 months be tested for BSE.

My Department has also launched an online Market Access portal which provides a one-stop-shop for detailed market access and export information on open agri-food markets around the world, http://www.marketaccess.agriculture.gov.ie/.

The information on the portal includes certification arrangements, exporter terms and conditions, individual country trading statistics and the typical products exported to individual markets. This information is updated on an ongoing basis where there are changes in trading conditions or where new markets become open to export. The portal also contains specific email addresses per sector where further information may be requested. Feedback from Industry has been very positive in relation to the portal and it has proved to be an invaluable resource in assessing market conditions for exporters.

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